Questions about difference between midwife and obgyn

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amberfox07 wrote:

I currently see a obgyn and have not been completely satisfied with her services. Especially because she is not VBAC supportive. If I switch to a midwife will I still be able to VBAC with/without an epidural? I'm in the dark with what a midwife covers and what services they do. I'm 15w3d.

I was with an ob my last pregnancy and am with a midwife this pregnancy. Epidural is up to the hospital, I am able to have one at the hospital I'm going to but if I chose a different location with the other hospital in town it would be considered transfer of care to the ob ... So it all depends on the hospital they are affiliated with. As per VBAC I'm not sure as I think that my be considered more high risk?? Maybe call and ask?? I'm excited for the midwife bc they come to ur house when u start to labour and then let u know when it's time to go to the hospital - then after birth hey help with breastfeeding and come to ur house once a week for 6 weeks :) it's very supportive! Oh! And my appointments r 30min and not 5min .... I'm also in Canada

I think it depends on where you live, I am also in Canada and my experience with my midwife has been amazing. I'm pretty sure midwives will do a vbac as long as your pregnancy remains low risk. My midwife does all the standard testing an ob or doctor would do but the difference is they give you the choice to do it. I never felt pushed to do anything and opted out of some of the tests we both felt were unnecessary. My midwife has full hospital privileges so I was able to get an epidural but didn't have to be hooked up to all the machines they usually use. My appointments are usually 30 min and she really listens and gets to know her patients. She also comes to my house after the baby is born for 6 weeks. If I were to become high risk she would transfer my care to an ob but would still be there for support and even attend a csection if it was needed. In general they are AWESOME:).

VBACs can be super dangerous for mom and baby as uterus can rupture during delivery and may need emergency c-section. I think midwives can be good for low risk, straightforward pregnancies. There are a lot of risk factors that help your doctor determine if you're a good candidate for a VBAC. Talk to your doctor about those. If you still have questions, make an appointment with a different OB (I think younger docs are a bit more comfortable with VBACs personally) and get their opinion. If you have two docs tell you that you're too high risk for a VBAC, trust them and focus on other ways of helping you feel more comfortable with your baby's birthing process.